Bringing your dog or cat to the veterinarian's office on a regular basis can ward off serious illness and help to avoid high bills.

While our pets have many clever (and often endearing) ways of expressing themselves, your dog can't tell you in words that his teeth hurt, nor can your cat confide that her leg doesn't feel right. In fact, our pets are masters at disguising pain - it's in their evolutionary makeup so do so. Take dogs, for instance - as wolves back in the wild, they developed the instinct to hide pain and sickness as not to show signs of vulnerability. Today, it's still hardwired in our pets instinctually to hide any signs of weakness for self-protection. This can make it tough for us humans to tell when our pets are hurting or sick.

Plus, when you consider that our pets age approximately 6-7 times the rate that we do, it's easy to see that our yearly veterinary exams are imperative - not just for vaccinations and vital statistics, but to detect any early signs of disease or other issues. By the time your pet reaches their senior years (which can be as early as 7 years of age, depending on the breed and size), those yearly visits become even more important. The cost of a routine wellness exam is going to be much lower than treatment of an advanced disease.

For pets of all age, regular checkups keep your pet healthy by allowing us to spot small problems before they escalate - allowing us to resolve them more easily, less expensively and with a greater outcome of success. They can also help your pet to avoid common discomforts such as heartworm and dental disease that may otherwise go undetected.